A Spider is Born
by Webs2099
Summary: This story is about an average ten-year-old farm boy named Peter Parker and how he became the spider in the Kingdom of Valdemar.
1. Chapter 1 Spider is Born

Prologue

On a clear late spring night at the grove in Companions' Field, a new grove-born Companion emerges, Rolan is there to greet her. "I am Aranea," she says. "In three days' time, I will choose a ten-year-old boy named Peter Parker. He will have very rare gifts, a kind soul, and a fine sense of duty … yet quite impulsive."

Prologue Ends.

A Spider is Born:

On a bright late spring morning in the kingdom of Valdemar, an average ten-year-old farm boy, Peter Parker, sits up and swings his legs over the edge of his bed. His mom calls "lazybones, time to get up, your breakfast is getting cold." "I'm coming, mom," Peter calls back as he pulls on his tunic and knickers.

Sitting at the kitchen table across from his dad, Peter asks, "Can I go to the market with you today?" "Sorry, son, I need you to harness the pony to the cart to collect some more firewood." his dad replies. Looking down at his bowl of half-eaten oatmeal with disappointment in his voice he replies, "Okay dad, after I do my usual chores." After breakfast, he exits the house through the kitchen's back door. Peter heads toward the barn to milk the loudly complaining cows. After filling two small buckets, one from each cow, he carries the buckets to the milk house. With the milking done Peter turns toward the granary to retrieve the chicken feed and wicker basket. With the feeding of the chickens and half of a basket of eggs collected, he thinks to himself, "not bad", while walking back to the house.

Upon entering the house, he interrupts his parents smooching by saying "Why don't you two get a hayloft?" then puts the basket of eggs on the kitchen table to be taken to market and walks back outside.

Once back outside, Peter goes to the barn to get the pony harness from the tack room and takes it to the cart than fetches the palomino pony from the paddock, harnessed her to the cart and then climbs aboard. By mid-morning he is on his way down the well-worn path leading to the woods a mile or two behind the farm. At the edge of the woods, Peter thinks to himself a place for everything, everything in its place. Grabbing a long lead rope from the cart, he ties the palomino to a tree. Going to the back of the wagon he retrieves the hatchet and heads a hundred-feet into the trees. Peter starts picking up branches and cutting the thicker ones to make them easier to carry.

By late afternoon he (unknowingly picking up an eight-legged small hitchhiker) decides this will be the last armload. He starts to go back to his wagon when a dark cloud forms. Before he can think the words 'mage storm', the air crackles, there is a silvery-white flash and then. Total darkness!

Peter, lying unconscious on the ground, begins to dream. Dazed and confused, Peter found himself standing in a clearing, deep in a gloomy forest. Looking around, to see massive glowing red-eyed black spiders. A voice in his head commands him to crouch and then leap up to the branch above him. Peter leaps 20 feet straight up and catches the tree limb. Pulling himself up, he sits astride his perch. "Good," says the voice. "Now stand up and aim your wrist across the clearing at a branch about 10 feet up a tree and touch your middle two fingers to the palm of your hand." After doing this, a thick silk web strand jets from his wrist and hits the target. "Now grab the webbing and swing to the tree allowing your toes to touch first while bending your knees. Grab the tree trunk with your free hand while bending your elbow. Let go of the webbing and grab the tree trunk with your other hand, keeping your body close to the tree." The voice continues. ..."Imagine you are crawling on the floor, now turn around and crawl back to the ground." With this maneuver completed Peter stands up. "Good", the voice mind speaks. "Now aim at a tree below the lowest branch, make a fist and move your arm to another tree and back again." A silk mist sprays from his wrist and solidifies to form a web net between the two trees. Speaking one last time, the voice says, "From now on, you will feel a tingling in the back of your head whenever there is a danger or a dangerous person around. The more imminent the danger, the stronger the tingle." Peter, shooting a web strand at the tree branch where he thinks the voice is coming from...

The Rescue:

Early evening, Richard Parker returns home after a long day at the market. He calls out to his wife, "Mary where is the child? I need him to help unload the supplies." Mary answers, with a worried tremor in her voice, "I don't know. He should have been back many candle-marks ago." Richard quickly leaves the house, heading to the tack room to find a saddle and bridle. He runs to where the horse was left then changes the wagon harness for saddle and bridle. Mounting his steed, Richard races to the woods to find his wayward son.

Arriving at the edge of the woods, he finds the palomino pony and cart. Assuming the worst, he speedily unloads the collected wood, then ventures forward into the undergrowth where he soon finds his son, unconscious on the forest floor. Richard carries his son and places him gently into the bed of the cart. Then he unties the palomino, takes her lead rope, mounts his horse and by dusk returns home with his boy. Arriving, Richard takes Peter to his bedroom and places his fevered son on the bed while his worried mom stands nearby. While Mary wipes her son's forehead with a cold cloth, her husband goes outside to unload and put away the supplies, then removes saddle and bridle from the horse and palomino pony. Next, he cleans the tack and puts it back in the tack room. Then he grooms and feeds them both. For the rest of the night, Peter's mom keeps cold compresses on his forehead. As the fever rages on, he tosses and turns in bed all night long.

Fever Dream:

Peter, finds himself standing in a gloomy forest of massive trees, randomly spaced apart, except for a single corridor 20 feet wide. The mind voice speaks, "Next time I say 'go', climb the nearest tree about 20 feet up, fire a web strand at an angle to a tree across the corridor. At the apex of the swing, fire another strand back across angling it to the next tree. Continue this pattern until I say stop." Hearing the command 'go', Peter climbs the nearest tree and begins swinging down the corridor.

Thirty trees later, hearing the order to stop, Peter lands skillfully on the side of the tree he was heading toward. "Excellent." compliments the mind voice, "Now climb to a branch that is near level to one across from the tree you're on." Taking a position on his perch, he waits for further instructions.

Mind voice continues, "Now target a branch across from you and fire a web strand, carefully press the webbing that's in your hand to the branch you're on, securing it. Now crawl to the center of your web strand and shoot another one to the ground and attach it to where you are now. Crawl halfway down and hang there inverted. Drop to the ground doing a half-flip." Doing as instructed, Peter lands in a crouched position with one hand touching the ground to keep his balance. "Use your webbing sparely." the mind voice speaks, "It will take 2 candle marks for your body to make more." Peter turns to face the spider and starts to ask …

The next day by mid-morning Peter's fever breaks, and he awakens. Sitting up quickly, he calls out "where am I?" "Its all right" his mom answers, "your home, you had an accident." "I'm hungry, can I have something to eat?" Peter asks politely. Peter's dad comes in with a bowl of broth, hands it to his son and asks "what happened?" He replies "I don't know. There was a storm cloud, then I was here." After the mid-day meal, his parents decide their son is well enough to go outside. Peter quickly makes his escape from captivity.

Once outside, thinking out loud "I need to retrieve the abandoned firewood." Going to the barn he gets out the pony's harness and bridle. Then he goes to get her. After properly harnessing the pony to the cart, Peter heads off to the woods. Upon arriving, he secures her to a nearby tree.

Placing the firewood back into the cart, he then proceeds into the trees and soon finds the hatchet that was left behind the night before. Going deeper still, he notices some trees need trimming. Cutting some nearby vines, he ties the hatchet to his waist, leaving enough slack to use it.

Placing his hands and feet on the rough bark, keeping his body close to the tree, Peter starts to crawl up to a dead limb to begin work. After finishing pruning this tree, Peter fires a web strand to another tree that needs pruning. After, trimming several trees he leaps to the ground. Chopping some more vines to tie the cut branches into a bundle he feels a strong tingling in the back of his head. Turning around, Peter sees a seven-foot-tall black bear with antlers growing from its head. Raising his wrist he makes several multi-layer web nets between the trees to block the creature's path. Peter then grabs his bundle, sprints back to the pony and wagon, and races home.

Arriving back home, Peter removes the harness and bridle from the palomino, cleans the tack and puts it back in the tack room. With this chore done, he walks the palomino to cool her down then grooms and puts her in her stall with some feed and water for the night. Going over to the wagon Peter unloads the wood and stores it in the wood box near the back of the house.

With this accomplished, Peter enters the house through the back door where he sees his mom placing supper on the table. Father, sitting at the table with a bowl of stew, speaks out, "Where have you been all day, son?" Peter answers as he sits down to eat his stew, "I went out to bring back the wood, I put it in the wood box." When supper is eaten, Peter goes out to do evening chores. On completion of his chores, he goes to the barn, jumps 10-feet up to the hayloft and begins to imagine being a Harold until bedtime. A few candle marks later Peter hears his mother calling time to come in. He leaps from the loft and lightly lands in a crouching pose, springs forward and dashed out of the barn to the house. Once inside his parents inform him it's time for bed. He gives each parent a hug, then (feeling a little hot) he goes off to his room.

Fever Dream Two:

Peter, finds himself standing in a clearing, deep in a gloomy forest. Looking up he sees a massive glowing red-eyed black spider. Feeling a slight tingling, he looks around to see a black crow spreading its wings. A mind voice instructs, "aim for the feet and make a fist." Shooting a web net he sticks the bird to its perch. A slightly stronger tingle, Peter scans the area and spies a 20-point buck starting to lower its head. Mind voice speaks, "use both wrists and aim for the shoulders." Peter does this, forming a cocoon around the buck's body and legs. Sensing imminent danger this time, he spins around to see a rampaging boar coming toward him. "Quick, cover the ground little ways in front of you with webbing then jump aside," said the mind voice. Peter carries out the instructions. As the boar approaches the trap, it grunts and snorts with disgust as it gets stuck. Peter turns his attention back to the spider and inquires, "who are you?" quickly but politely. Mind voice replies, "Aranea."

The Reveal:

After another fitful night, Peter awakes in a cold sweat. Hearing his mom call he gets dressed and leaves his room located off the kitchen. "Mom, Dad," he says after sitting down in front of a plate of eggs and toast.," I reckon that storm was not normal, I guess that storm was a mage storm, I think I might be a changed child." "Why do you think so, son?" his dad asks. Peter aims his wrist at the ceiling, touches his palm with his two middle fingers, firing off a web strand. He proceeds to climb the web and hangs upside down. His parents, with stunning looks on their faces, drop their mouths open. While his parents are still recovering, Peter drops back into his chair and calmly begins eating breakfast. With breakfast finished, Peter nonchalantly heads out to do chores.

"What's to be done?" asks Richard once he regains his wits. "We treat our son normally and tell him to always practice his gift in a private place," Mary replies, "Meanwhile, I will write a letter of inquiry to the Heraldic Collegium." Outside, with his chores behind him, Peter goes to the barn and practices his web-swinging, web crawling, and wall-crawling. At midday, he is called in for lunch. His parents tell him what they plan to do and that he must be careful not to be seen when using his gift, but will understand if the need arises. Peter nods his head in understanding. Richard goes outside to do a few odd jobs needing attention. Mary gets out of their home school supplies for Peter's daily, intense midday learning session. Peter quietly groans! Then he gets to work. That evening after chores Peter's father asks, "son, would you like to go to Deer Creek's spring fair tomorrow?" With wide eyes and a big grin on his face, Peter answers, affirmative! And then thanks his dad. Later that night when the excitement wears off, the fever returns.

Fever Dream three:

Peter, finds himself standing in an unfamiliar gloomy forest. Looking around, he sees a path blocked by different obstacles, hearing a mind voice say,

"leap to the top of the log barricade" he does so only to have the logs begin to collapse beneath his feet. Mind voice continues, "quickly dive for the ground with your arms stretched out allowing your elbows to bend as you land in a handstand, then do a back flip into a crouch position." Receiving a mental image of how to do it, he completes the maneuver with ease. "In front of you", speaks mind voice, "with bent knees and straight back, pick up the log and the throw it to one side." Peter tosses the log (which is four times his size) easily to the side. Caught up in excitement the moment, he dashed to a log spanning a pit full of spikes, halfway across it starts to roll. He skillfully jumps to an awaiting vine and grabs it. Using his momentum, Peter swings over a pit of vipers while sticking his tongue out at them. At the apex of his swing, Peter does a backward aerial somersault landing in a crouch position in a clearing, completing the course without further instructions. Peter stands and looks up to see massive glowing, red-eyed black spiders. Mind voice gives a warning, "as you grow so will your strength, speed, and agility, be mindful of this!" Peter nods his head.

To the Fair:

The next morning in anticipation, Peter is up, dressed and at the kitchen table for breakfast before his mom can call. Peter quickly finishes eating and goes to do morning chores. Mary packs a lunch basket of boiled eggs, cheese, and bread, then places a letter to the Heraldic Collegium in with the food. Richard, insurers his wife the letter will be delivered to the guard-post near Deer-Creek, They will send it by courier to Haven. Peter, wanting to be helpful, went to get the tack and put it in the supply wagon. His father comes out of the house, hands him the basket of food to be put in the wagon, then harnessed up the horse. By mid-morning Father and son are off down the road (in Peter's mind on a grand adventure). An uneventful candle-mark or two later they start to pass a small stand of trees. When Peter senses danger, he looks toward the trees to see two young men stepping out from behind a tree, each dressed in black clothing, each with a light crossbow in their hands. Moving quickly peter aims at the men's hips and fires a web net, encapsulating everything below the neck in a web cocoon.

"Good job!" His dad comments. Father and son load the two bandits into the wagon and a few candle-marks later they approach the Deer-Creek Guard-Post. At the Guard-Post a Herald with the arm-band of a special Courier is conversing with the post's captain when a father and son approach. The Herald stares blankly for a moment then turns to face the approaching wagon. Richard stops, climbs down from the wagon with the letter in hand as the Herald approaches. Richard introduces himself while handing over the letter to the Herald. "It's about my son Peter", he says, its needs to be delivered to the Heraldic Collegium. The Herald takes the letter and places it in her shoulder bag, then inquires," what do you have in the wagon?" Richard replies, "a couple of bandits who tried to ambush us." A voice from the wagon objects. "We were the ones who were viciously set upon." The guard Captain steps up to the wagon. The Herald gets a vacant look on her face for a few moments, then announces, "The Captain and I will take care of these two." After unloading the prisoners, father and son head down the road toward their next adventure.

At the Fair:

At mid-day, they have their lunch. A candle-mark or two later they arrive at the common grounds outside Deer-Creek and takes there horse and wagon to the place designated. The Fair Manager, a credit to his profession, has all the entertainment tents, food stalls, and game stalls lined up neatly in rows with wide corridors separating them and servants to keep the grounds clean throughout the day. Off to one side is a tent reserved for the selecting of apprentices and hiring of extra hands. Richard hands his son a small coin bag consisting of ten coppers. He tells him "son, I will be at the hiring tent", then adds with a slight grin, "don't get into too much trouble." While slipping the coin bag's string over his head and tucking the bag under his tunic. "I won't," Peter replies, "get into trouble that is," them turns quickly toward the food stalls. At the fruit-pocket-pie stall, Peter buys a fruit pie for two copper coins, then seeks out the gaming stalls. Peter finds one where the object is to knock six wooden shaped bottles stacked in a pyramid shape off a pedestal using a fist-sized wooden ball. One copper for each throw. There are three pedestals. Peter buys three tries. Taking careful aim he throws at the wooden bottles on the left side causing the bottles to go flying on impact with the ball. He whips the remaining two balls at the remaining two targets with the same results. With an amazing look, the stall attendant gives Peter a stuffed Companion toy. Fruit pie consumed, new toy in hand, Peter decides to find his dad. Halfway to the hiring tent, he feels a tingling, turning around quickly to see a teenager being chased by a person in a blue guard uniform coming toward him. Quickly he covers the ground a little way in front of himself with webbing then ducks around the corner of the last stall only to stare into the deep sapphire blue eyes of a Companion.

The Choosing:

Peter feels a sensation of falling, and landing in a crouched position on a giant spider web then looks up to see a huge black spider morphing into a Companion. He hears a voice, "I Am Aranea and I choose you, Peter Parker." Peter blinks, (Without warding, he remembers the dreams that were teaching him how to use his gift.) and he sees the Companion. "Chosen, get on." Aranea mind-speaks. "We must leave now, a messenger was sent to find your father, so he will soon, know what happened to you." Peter leaps into his Companions saddle. Companion and Chosen leave the fair and head up the road to Haven and their first grand adventure. … The End?


	2. Chapter 2 A Spider in Haven

Haven At Night:

On the road to Valdemar, Companion Arenea and her chosen Peter Parker had a meeting of the minds. Peter full of questions, inquired, will there be kids my age?; will I have my room?; will I have to do chores?; and go to school. Yes, she answered and gave him, his first lesson in ground and centering and shielding. Peter's shields took the form of multi-layered spider webs.

Travelling at the speed only a Companion can achieve, Arenea and Peter arrived in front of the city gates of Haven at twilight. The guard, saying to himself a new trainee for the Collegium has he waved them through the gate. Once within the outer city walls the first thing Peter noticed how empty the streets were and a shadow running the rooftops, but he didn't sense any danger. Arenea maintained a trot through the deserted maze like streets. Peter held tight to his stuffed Companion toy. At the second gate, the guard informed them there are strange creatures around, and they are to get to the palace as quickly as possible. Arenea and Peter slipped through the gate, then dashed to the palace, home of the Heraldic Collegium.

The Palace Proper:

Safe inside the palace walls, Arenea showed Peter, Companion Field; the tack shed; and Companion's Barn. No instructions needed, Peter removed and cleaned Arenea saddle and bit-less bridle then, stored them in the proper place in the tack shed. He returned to Arenea with her personal grooming kit. After a long pleasurable grooming session, Peter refilled the water trough; the grain-bin with grain and sweet-corn; and placed a thick layer of straw in her stall. Peter kissed Arenea on the cheek, mind-spoke Goodnight and left the barn.

Outside, Peter heard a voice calling out. Over here, a third year trainee introduced himself, I'm Benjee, I'll be your student adviser. Inside the Collegia, on the second floor at the boy's side of the trainees wing, Benjee showed where the common room, the library, the privet, bathing room and how to use the faucet to fill the tub and how to drain it, Benjee said, be courteous, wipe-out the tub when you're done. He points at a square hole in the wall and said that's the laundry shoot, and along the walls were low shelves with many towels and soaps stacked on them. Next and most importantly was to locate his room.

Benjee told peter, I'll see you at breakfast, then left to let peter to get settled in. Peter looked around the room to see a bed in one corner, a wardrobe in the corner opposite it. Beside the wardrobe, a few feet along the wall, was a chair and desk and a fireplace. A book case was across from the desk.

On the bed Peter spied a bathrobe, pajamas, washrag. Peter placed his stuffed Companion toy in the bookcase, then grabbed, robe, washrag, and pajamas, then headed for the bathing room for a nice long bath.

Back in his room, Peter finds a plate of food and a note. The note, reads, thought you might be hungry, your clothes will be laundered and returned to you tomorrow, breakfast is at 1st bell. After I take you down to housekeeping and the kitchen, we will have breakfast. Don't forget to see to your Companion, and bathe before breakfast. — Benjee.

Peter, Feeling a little feverish, begins getting ready for bed when he hears two voices pass by his door. An older male asked are you going out a second time tonight? And a young female answering no, didn't see anything new except a Companion and a newly chosen.

Fever Dream:

Peter, a bit confused, finds himself standing on a hilltop and a large silvery-white spider with deep sapphire blue eye is standing beside him. Arenea mind speaks, "pay attention this is important". About a half-a-mile away nearby a small abandon village the air shimmers, and glows a brilliant white, stepping from the glow a man dressed in light armour sitting tall astride his steed. Following him is his squire (an average ten-year-old boy) riding a palomino pony. The boy asks, Lord Valdemar, do you think we have gone far enough? Yes, the Lord answers. Following their Lord, many animals, people, and wagons, steps through the portal. As the last of the travelers stepped aside, the portal collapses.

Fever Dream Ends.

The next morning Peter wakes-up way before 1st bell, to find his clothes neatly placed on the desk. He quickly got dressed then went to the Companion's Barn to say good-morning to Arenea in person. After seeing to his Companions breakfast and morning grooming, and wanting to make a good impression, he headed to the bathing room for a quick bath. Back in his room, he hung the robe and pajamas in the wardrobe, then made the bed as the 1st bell rang. Moments later he heard a knock and a voice at the door.

Peter opened the door to find standing there, Benjee. Who took him down to housekeeping to get his uniforms and fitted for boots and shoes. After Peter Had a brief conversation about both body and room cleanliness with Granny, an elderly white hared, wrinkled faced woman in charge of housekeeping, it was off to the kitchen.

Peter was informed by Chef what was to be expected of him when he was a signed kitchen, and serving chores and where the well stocked Harold and trainee pantry was for those late-night snack attacks. Back in his room, Peter changed into one of the trainee gray uniforms then hung the rest of them in the wardrobe. Peter and Benjee then went to the common-room to eat. After breakfast, Peter was taken to see the Dean, Harold Connors.

In the Dean's office Peter was tested in math, reading, writing, history, and geography, and was told he wasn't any worse nor better than any other new trainee. Dean Connors gave Peter his schedule, then told him that orientation will be tomorrow at the second bell, until then you are free to explore.

The Encounter:

Peter headed outside to see what there is to experience. Once outside, Peter quickly spots Benjee who was talking to a couple of other trainees, a girl with flaming red hair dressed in a rust-red uniform similar to his own in design, the other, a boy dressed in a light-blue uniform also similar in design.

While walking over to see Benjee, he feels a strong tingling, but before he could react Peter found himself surrounded by three older boys in light-blue uniforms (one of them is carrying what appears to be a page's uniform) and an over sense of superiority grins on their faces. "My name is Flash Thomson" the taller blond hair boy said, "I'm in need of a new pageboy, I think you'll do. But first we need to get you out of those dingy clothes and into proper blues like us," Flash continued. Peter, letting instinct take over, he crouches then leaps ten feet up and slightly foreword doing an aerial somersault landing in a crouch position a few feet from Benjee and his friends. Flash and his cronies with stunned, then angry expressions on their faces, turned to see where there would be victim landed.

Peter, standing up and points his thumb over his shoulder and asks, "what's the problem with those idiots?" The red head holds out her hand and introduces herself as Mary Jane Watson, but most people call me MJ, the kid next to me is Harry Osborn. Peter shook her hand. "Flash thinks he is a big shot," said Harry, "just because his father made his fortune, trapping exotic creatures and selling the furs." For the rest of the morning Peter was given a guided tour of the palace ground by whom he hoped to be his new friends. At lunchtime, MJ excused herself and went to sit with some other bardic trainees to talk shop. Benjee took a look at Peter's schedule and notice he had many of the same classes as Harry. After being fed, Benjee announces he has a few chores to do, and asks Harry to show Peter were the education wing is, and then take him to see the Weapons Master, Harold Galbraith.

The Weapons Master:

In the Sal, along one wall were mirrors, along another wall were racks full of wooden weapons of many difference sizes and shapes. And armor stands with the padded leather armor of different sizes on them and three securely locked cabinets. Against the third and the fourth wall (the fourth wall having the door in it) were benches. Sitting on one of the benches was an average built man (with a deep, long scar on his left cheek) dressed in a Heraldic White leather armor. Harry shouts out with mirth in his voice, Master Galbraith I have another victim for you. Galbraith stands up and walks over to the boys, and looks at Peter them points to the scar on his face, and said, "this is what happens, after you get into your Whites, if you don't learn your lessons now!" Peter slowly nods his head. "My classes are at the last three candle marks of school", Galbraith states, then turns and walks back to where he was sitting to finish his work.

Peter and harry take is as a dismissal and leaves the Sal. Outside seeing some other friends, Harry took his leave of Peter and went to join them. So, Peter went out to the Companion Field to spend some quality time with Aranea.


	3. Chapter 3 The Ebony Tower

The Ebony Tower:

In the Pelagiris Forest there stands a man wearing a long flowing black robe. Protruding from the sleeves of the robe were hands like that of skeletons, one which was holding a black staff. The robed figure begins to chant an ancient spell while striking his staff on the ground. The ground begins to quake, as a massive tower as black as ebony starts to rise from the earth.

First the inner walls were formed defining the kitchen, Pantry, slave quarters, and entry hall, a spiral staircase in the center of the tower led up to the 2nd floor. On the 2nd floor, walls form, so too was the bedroom (complete with bed, wardrobe and dresser, bathing room, privet, and library were formed. On the 3rd and final floor, three pillars were formed to hold up the domed shaped roof. One half of the area was to be used a storage and the other half a workroom.

The robed man touches his staff to the side of the newly made tower, opening a round-shaped doorway. Upon, stepping through the doorway it closed behind him. After lighting a mage-light he ascended to the 3rd floor, the robed man walked to the place, he designated as his work area. Upon tapping his staff on the floor, a worktable of proper height and length grows. Repeating this action he grows shorter tables, one to each side of the main table.

The Golems:

Casting a spell the robed man causes a bucket of soft clay to appear on the worktable. Taking eight small pieces of paper, an ink bottle and a quill out of his robe's pocket. Carefully inscribes tiny magical signs on each paper, then sets them aside to dry. Turning his attention to the bucket of clay. He starts to mold with the skill of a craftsman, a 4-foot bi-pedal snakelike creature. After finishing a total of eight creatures, the robed man placed one of the pieces of paper in the mouth of each of his new creations. The statures a moment or two later began to glow, then transmuted into flesh creatures. The robed man thinking to himself, what should I call my new creation - I know, Ophidian men.

Marching orders:

The robed man sends his Ophidian men out to raid the nearby villages for supplies. As they receive their order they scampered down the stairs and out the tower through the door which open to their touch. That should keep them busy for the rest of the night, he said to himself.

Taking a piece of chalk from his robes, the robed man draws a circle on the floor. On the outside of the circle at each compass point he draws the signs for the four elements. Then cast a summoning spell. Knowing that it takes time for a summoning to work, he goes to the wall be hind the workbench ... and begins to draw upon the wild magic of the forest to building a stone fireplace complete with mantle and hearth.

The familiar:

Turning his attention back to the summoning circle, the robed man sees a very light gray cat in the middle of the circle. "What should I call you" he asked the cat not really expecting an answer. The cat mind spoke his answer, "you may call me Ash".

Ash gets up and walks over to the fireplace, and jumps up on to the mantle, and then, curls up, to go to sleep.

The Library:

He grabs his bucket of clay and goes down the spiral staircase to the library.

In the library, setting down the bucket, Robed Man looks at his empty book shelves. Now concentrating, he looks at the shelves snaps his fingers causing a flash of light. When the light fades, Robed Man sees his empty book shelves now filled with all his books and scrolls. Afterwards, Robed Man descends the stairs with the clay to the first floor he calls Ash to his side.

Outside The Tower:

After preparing another piece of paper for his new creature, Robed Man uses the last of his clay to create a 4-foot black bear with antlers. He then tells Ash while pointing at a spot between two nearby trees I need you to channel and control enough wild magic to open a portal. Once the portal is open he takes the prepared paper and puts it in the mouth of his new creature, a moment later it begins to glow a sickly green and grows to seven-feet-tall.

Robed Man sends his new creature through the portal. Then closes the portal and tells the cat he may do whatever he wants to until morning.

Ash stays where he is at, curls up into a ball and falls a sleep. Robed Man heads inside goes up to his bed chamber and gets dressed for, and climbs into bed and quickly falls to sleep.

In The Village:

The Ophidians slinked from shadow to shadow until they came to their first shop. Smashing in the door, they found pots, pans, cauldrons and other kitchen supplies. Putting as mush as they can into two cauldrons, four of the Ophidians took their loot back to the tower. The remaining four Ophidians raided the butcher, the baker, and the candle stick maker.

Throughout the night the Ophidians raided several small towns, By the time dawn arrived they were back at the tower with the last of their booty.

The Next Morning:

The Robed Man after getting up and dressed for the day, goes up to the third floor over to the storage area to check out his newly acquired supplies, ... satisfy with what he sees, he selects several foods, a pan, utensils, then goes down to the kitchen to make breakfast while thinking I need a cook and a house-keeper.


End file.
